Inova X5 has been updated

Ya think its to much to ask for 5 white leds at about 40 lumens (8 lumens a pop) for about 50 hrs run time ,

Thats not asking for to much is it?

I am impressed with the new 2009 Inova X5. Measurements show that it draws a little more current than the previous version, namely 299 mA versus 260 mA using brand new batteries. The payback is in increased brightness and wider beamwidth.

The newer X5's tint is a mixture of pale yellow and blue, though not nearly as blue as the prior version X5.

The 2009 X5 virtually tied my 45 lumen Surefire E2L Cree and Streamlight 4AA Luxeon lights in ceiling bounce tests. It beat some of my other lights, including two Victorinox 2AA lights (manufactured by Inova), an Inova X02 TIROS, and an Eveready 1AA Cree "tactical."

Wow... That sounds like quite an improvement...any idea whether the red version has been updated as well... That always had significantly less current draw and runs on one cell... Wonder which way inova would go on that one, increased brightness or increased runtime?...

generallobster said:

the XO3 apparently puts out 160+ lumens now according to the package. I was trying to find info on what got upgraded if anything and I couldn't find a thing.

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The ones I've seen in the store say 135 lumens, not 160. The new T3 is 165 lumens though. Is that the one you're thinking of? The last version of the XO3 was around 80 lumens with a first generation K2 l.e.d.. The new XO3 uses a newer high binned TFFC K2. The whole Inova line has been updated. All the new ones have textured reflectors so you can tell them apart from the older ones. They also added the X2, a 2AA light a little longer than the XO with a SSC P4 l.e.d.. From what I have seen so far with the new line of lights, I'm impressed. My XO, X1, and X5 all have flawless beams. I think all three are about twice as bright as their last versions. The beam pattern of the XO and X1 is very useful. They have plenty of usable flood and outthrow most, if not all the lights in their size/class.

iirc Inova's customer service people have usually (but not always) been down right uninformed about their own products. However it would be great to get some sort of confirmation that they there are different emitters in there.

Guess I'll have to keep my eyes open foe one in Target and find out what emitter is being used.

I have one more final idea to see if it's a GS, if you were to cover 4 of the LED's, the beam shape of the one uncovered will be visible and you'll be able to see the rectoval if it is a GS.

parnass said:

I am impressed with the new 2009 Inova X5. .....

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Followup: After less than 3 days of use, one of the LEDs began to oscillate at a 5 to 10 Hz rate. The flickering was annoying so I exchanged the X5 for another one.

I have to return my second updated Inova X5 because it failed just like the X5 I returned 4 weeks ago.

One of the LEDs began to oscillate and sometimes fails to light.

I bought both X5s from the same store and they were the only two new version X5s on display. Wondering if this is a generic problem for the new X5 or just a problem with a particular batch off the production line.

yep, they're overdriven :candle:

I hope this isn't a common theme for the new X5s.
Too bad as I do think I need a new one to vampire old cells.

I just bought a 3rd new X5 at a different Target after returning 2 X5s which failed.

The "new" packaging is not a good litmus test of what to expect from the X5. The 2 X5s which failed were much whiter and brighter than the prior generation. This 3rd X5 is considerably bluer than my prior generation X5 -- much fewer traces of yellow than in the 2 failed lights. The beam is wider and it does throw a little further, but it doesn't seem nearly as bright as the 2 lights I returned.

Another difference to note is that the twisty tailcaps on the 2 X5s which failed were so much easier to twist than any of my other Inovas. The new twisties felt looser. The 3rd X5 I just bought requires the same torque as the prior generation X5s. The amount of lube doesn't look any different among all my X5s.

All 3 of the X5s I bought with the new packaging had the name INOVA embossed across the rubber switch cover.

On another note, the most recent X5 I bought came with Energizer batteries (dated 03-2019) hovering around 3.0 volts -- about a quarter of a volt lower than brand new Surefire batteries.

All the brightness/throw tests cited above were made after I fitted my old and new X5s with new Surefire batteries to level the playing field.

The difference in performance between my newest X5 and my prior generation X5s isn't that stunning.

The 3rd new Inova X5 I bought a few days ago continues to work, although it has a much bluer tint than the other new X5s.

However, I bought a 4th new Inova X5 and one of its LEDs started to flash 3 days after purchase! That brings the count to 3 of the new X5s which have failed with the same problem -- a single flashing LED. All 3 failed X5s worked OK for the first few days. All of them emitted the same yellowish/white tinted light and all were purchased from the same Target store during a span of slightly over one month.

Is there anyone else who recently bought the new generation X5 in the new packaging having problems with it?

parnass said:

Is there anyone else who recently bought the new generation X5 in the new packaging having problems with it?

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I just purchased one at my local Target (in Indiana), which came in the new packaging and has a more yellow-ish tint to the beam.

This past Saturday one of the LEDs started flickering. This is after 4 days of ownership, and only about 10 minutes of burn time total.

I thought maybe it was the batteries, so I put in new cells - problem continued. I then thought maybe letting it run would allow it to right itself. This didn't work. After 5 minutes of it being on the LED's flickering slowed down to maybe 1 flash per second. On top of this, another LED started flickering.

I wrote Inova customer support on Saturday, and today they send me an RMA number to send it back to them. Luckily my old X5 still works, or I would be in the dark again! I am glad they stand behind their warrantee. Hopefully it won't be too long getting a replacement back.

I will update the thread once I have the new light in hand.

Thanks for the info, madflytom. I returned 4 of the new X5s to Target because 3 of them experienced LED failures like yours and the fourth X5 had a super blue tint.

Do you live too far away from a Target store to return it? Just curious. Inova has been in possession of my old T4 flashlight for one month now, so it can be much faster to return lights to the dealer rather than to Inova.

Let us know how your replacement X5 behaves.

Wow, Inova is really slipping on QC.

defloyd77 said:

Wow, Inova is really slipping on QC.

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While my new X5s failed, the new version X1 and X2 continue to work perfectly. Keep the faith.

defloyd77 said:

Wow, Inova is really slipping on QC.

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highly doubt its the QC, its the drive current
Some reported the LEDs being much brighter than the older generations, which one could speculate that a high drive current was implemented to existing LEDs, effectively shortening their lifespan due to excessive heat dissipation beyond their designed specifications.

Lets not forget that typical T1-3/4 LEDs have a maximum thermal dissipation of 120mw, and that was tested in Tj = 25C with both legs intact, not trimmed off and steeped in epoxy

When I brought my X5 from Target there was about 6 of them and all of them had a different tint, also some were brighter them others.

carrot said:

Definitely Nichias from the description. Cree 5mms do not display the bluish hotspot/yellow spill effect. They are a neutral white and have an even color throughout the beam.

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You have one Cree 5mm led light and make such a generalization? Just messin' with ya

I have one of the really old, original x5's and it continues to work great. I wonder if they are still manufactured in the same facility.